What were HomeExchangers' biggest fears about hosting?

For those who have never swapped homes before, it can be incredibly daunting to open your home up to complete strangers. After all, your home is your sanctuary, filled with all of the memories and furniture and doodads that make up your life. There’s so many things that could go wrong, it’s easy to forget how much more likely it is that everything could go right. To ease your fears, check out these testimonials written by HomeExchangers who were worried about hosting people in their homes, but found out how rewarding it can be to open up your home to new people and new experiences.

“Our main fear was that we would find our property in very bad shape and dirty on our return but so far, all exchanges we’ve done went very well. No damages were made and we found the property spotless everytime. My second fear was around a last-minute cancellation which happened to us, but the HomeExchange guarantees and admins are great. You won’t be left homeless if your host cancels.”
Thomas, France

“I was afraid my house wouldn’t be perfect enough, but I worked really hard to make sure every detail that I could control was as good as possible!” - Terry, USA

"My biggest fears were not having all the necessary things to accommodate different types of guests. I wanted them to be as comfortable as possible and enjoy our apartment and the whole experience. I learned to ask my guests a few questions before they arrive to get a better sense of what they will need during their stay so I prepare the beds and find out if they will cook, eat out, or both.” - Maria, USA

“Before starting, I was most worried about my home meeting expectations, guests enjoying their stay, and guests leaving my home as they found it. I am home exchanging with my primary home as well as a second home so I was worried about how to get my second home ready for guests when I don't live there full time. I asked a lot of questions of the friend that referred me to HomeExchange. I read a lot of home listings, and I read a lot of reviews. Finally, I made sure that I laid out clear expectations to my guests and had confirmation that we were in agreement about processes.” - Suzanne, USA

“It was difficult to let strangers into something as valuable and private as one's home. We were afraid that the guests would not take good care of our house, and we didn't really know how to make space for the guests' belongings. We were also afraid that the communication would not work well. We were contacted by a friendly family from Norway, and we clicked immediately. We wrote tons of messages to each other before, during and after the exchange. We even arranged a video meeting through WhatsApp before the exchange to be able to see each other and each other's houses.” - Aneta, Denmark

“I had requested that my guest water my plants-I always worry that they may forget to do so while site-seeing (but my guest did a great job with the plants!). I worry that they may be noisy, but in the past my guests were all very respectful. And my biggest worry - that they may break something...this never happened! I think I had to let go to some degree. One can't be a control freak when traveling. But I was also very careful with selecting people. Professionals who were communicative!” - Anne, USA

“The house that we exchange is also a house that we rent during the high season, so we were particularly concerned that our guests would not leave the house in good condition. Trust is the basic principle. Our guests had good reviews on their platform profile and that was enough to trust them.” - Nuria, Spain

“It’s not that easy to share your private space with others but I think this is the first step to tell ourselves that everything is okay and sharing is much nicer than we imagine.” - Nouran, Switzerland

Hopefully after reading these stories, you’ll feel better about dipping your toes into the world of home swapping. However, if you need a little more convincing, check out our member testimonials for stories and photos of unforgettable trips by HomeExchangers.